Never Afraid
by Spirit of Fury
Summary: Hiccup wakes up in the middle of the night, his dreams tearing at his conscience. But then he realises something. When his best friend is with him, the nightmares don't dare follow. Inspired by the Doctor Who episode "Listen." (Rated T for paranoia)


**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I do not own either HTTYD** ** _or_** **Doctor Who. Seriously, people, I wouldn't be stuck writing random fanfiction if I did.**

 **Inspired by the "nursery rhyme" featured in the Doctor Who episode** ** _Listen._**

* * *

 ** _What's that in the mirror?_**

 ** _In the corner of your eye?_**

 ** _What's that footstep following?"_**

 ** _But never passing by?_**

 ** _Perhaps the lot is waiting,_**

 ** _Perhaps when we're all dead._**

 ** _Out they'll come a-slithering,_**

 ** _From underneath the bed._**

* * *

 ** _Never Afraid_**

* * *

Hiccup bit his tongue to keep the shout of terror escaping his lips as he bolted upright on his narrow wooden bed. Across the room, Toothless started awake, pricking his night-dark ears in concern when he noticed his boy's heaving chest and shaking limbs.

Slowly, the Night Fury rose from his spot on the enormous slab of rock, a deep rumble rising in his throat. Hiccup couldn't muster the strength to shush him. He was too focused on trying to determine what was real and what wasn't. Somehow, as if he sensed the young Viking's wish for secrecy, the lumbering dragon slipped near-silently over the floorboards, closing the distance between them with a swiftness that seemed almost urgent.

The moment the supple black hide brushed his sleeve, Hiccup pulled his best friend into a hug. Toothless stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, thoroughly surprised, then blinked and pressed back, enveloping the boy in familiar darkness and purring reassuringly. In the minutes Hiccup held his dragon, his heart slowed its staccato dance, the heavy, smothering fog over his mind lifted and the tightness in his chest faded a little. The soft musk of the Night Fury's scent - like storm clouds and rain-splattered earth - wrapped phantom wings around him, further grounding Hiccup and checking his racing thoughts just enough to avoid the oncoming headache he had felt gathering between his brows.

He hung onto Toothless for another minute, then patted the thick, scarred neck and pulled away. Toothless tilted his head down in that special way of his, pupils widening ever so slightly. Hiccup let out a soft huff of breath through his nose - he never could resist those eyes, especially when the dragon gently nudged his leg, asking for answers.

Then the black ears started twitching pathetically, and the softest, most motherly and protective purr erupted in Toothless' throat, and he decided he couldn't stand it anymore.

"It's that dream again, bud. Every single time." The Night Fury nudged him again - a sign to continue. So he did. Hiccup braced his elbows on his knees, massaging his temples as he told his friend exactly what had happened in his dream, and all the others before them. The whole time, Toothless sat there, head in the boy's lap, listening intently to every word as if he understood perfectly. Hiccup as grateful for his presence, and the silent companionship was precisely what the 16-year-old needed.

"It's so stupid, though, bud. I'm sixteen winters old. Silly nightmares like these shouldn't bother me so much. Everyone knows that there is nothing under the bed."

Toothless gave Hiccup a look. It was almost as if the dragon was saying, _"You'll never guess where I've heard this before."_ But when Hiccup dropped his head, thoroughly embarrassed by his night terrors, the great Night Fury growled softly and took the boy's hand in his currently toothless mouth. The dragon gave a suggestive tug, and almost immediately Hiccup understood.

His now yellow-green eyes said it all. _"Come on, sleep with me tonight. Those nightmares won't dare follow."_

Grudgingly, Hiccup slid out of bed, wincing as his metal foot - which recently had to be enlarged - thudded on the wood. He threw one glance over at the already curled-up dragon, then at the sky port, where the wind was howling outside, and snatched his blanket. He tip-toed as quietly as he could over to the rock slab, choosing to shimmy the remainder of the way over to Toothless rather than make any more noise. His friend lifted a wing invitingly, beckoning impatiently as Hiccup threw the blanket up against the furnace of the dragon's gut. Only when Toothless was happy with Hiccup's position next to him did the great bat-like wing lower, plunging the Viking into darkness.

For a few heartbeats, the dark was all-encompassing, never-ending, but then Toothless' scaly face appeared, bright eyes shining like a beacon in the dark, and Hiccup sighed. This was his best friend. A Night Fury. Loyal, protective, intelligent, fierce, loving. This was Toothless, and he trusted him completely, wholly.

Those nasty creatures, the shapes of terror and shadow, the stuff of legend, fear _incarnate._ . .

They didn't stand a chance.

Because the warm body wrapped around him was Toothless.

And when his _dragon_ stood by him, he was _never_ afraid.

* * *

 **Hello, there!**

 **So, yay! My first entry on ! I feel like I've achieved something!**

 **Not that I really have, but oh well. I can still grin like an idiot.**

 **Ok, since I have virtually no idea what _anyone_ thinks of my writing, I beg anyone who reads this to _please_ leave a review, even if its a critique or a flame or completely anonymous. **

**Right, thanks for reading, guys and gals.**

 **Spirit of Fury**

 **P.S. Does anyone else find the way the Doctor says that "nursery rhyme" a little bit creepy? Apart from that, its a rather catchy little poem!**

 **P.P.S. Remember, _review!_**


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